Skill ranks on gear can be cool, because they instantly boost output of an ability. In the tree, they’re boring to the point of not really being meaningful. Most abilities function fine with 1 point in them, and by the time increasing damage output actually matters, all your skill points are allocated.
What if it worked something like this? Imagine a skill called “Fiery Explosion” that deals instant fire damage in a circular area and has a chance to inflict burning. Let’s also say that like now, the most skill points you can allocate in the tree is 5 per skill.
Fiery Explosion
1 Point: Access to skill. Deals instant fire damage in a circular area; chance to inflict burning.
2nd Point: +Damage to skill.
3rd Point: Increase size of AOE.
4th Point: Increase chance of Burning.
5th Point: +Damage to skill and Burning caused by skill.
(Ranks above this due to equipment/effects slightly increase base damage.)
So let’s say you just want the ability in your rotation. One or two points is enough.
Let’s say you want to use this a bit more actively as a damage dealer. You probably want to use 2 or 3 points.
Let’s say your build works off proccing DOTs. 4 points it is.
Let’s say this is your main skill and you use it constantly. 5 points! Take it to the max.
Now let’s say you’re happy with it at 3 points, and you get a piece of gear that adds +2 to Fiery Explosion. Sweet, now you can take two points off the skill in your tree and use them elsewhere.
Something like this could add a sense of player agency beyond just “numbers go up.”